Can we just admit that there’s no such thing as an OVERSATURATED market?!?!!?

I’m sorry, but you can’t convince me that too many photographers, too many hair stylists, too many churches, too many anything is an actual problem. So let’s look at How To Thrive in an “Oversaturated” Market…

In fact, do you have a street or highway in your town where ALL the car dealers are side by side?!?! Do any of them say, “hey, there are too many of us on this street…we are going to have to close up shop?” NO! They are all there together for a reason…they’ve actually taken the idea of making it easier for their customers to shop by lining up all on one street!

Same thing in my hometown with churches…there’s one on literally EVERY street corner. All are different denominations and are of varying sizes. But they don’t say ” there are too many of us churches in this town”. They simply highlight what they have to offer and know that the right people will come.

Are we doing that in our own small businesses? Here are a few things to consider when creating your own marketing in order to stand out…but in the end, remember that it’s your unique magic that ultimately helps you grow. Figuring out how to send your magic out into the world is the key!

Visual Branding:

Your images…you knew I was going to say that first! Not only because I am a brand photographer, but also because I am a visual learner. I need to SEE to learn, connect, and take action. I want to see all the pretties, the person behind pretties, the pretties in use….visual branding brings me to the table every time! It stops the scroll and helps build that Know, Like and Trust factor that we often talk about.

Take pictures of what you offer. Maybe it’s a service…show pictures of who you serve, how you serve them, where you serve them. If it’s a product…show pictures of your ideal client using it, how to use it, the benefits of using it, the results of using it. This is a HUGE part of how I help my branding clients. We walk through all the ways they help and serve their clients or community and then we reverse engineer that into “stories” and that’s what we share in their visual branding.

Personality:

Your personality. You may say, “well Corry, I can’t tweak that…I am who I am”. And while that is true for the most part, I always like to think about how I can match my client’s energy. If they are bubbly…then I try to bring high energy as well. If they are chill and reserved, I often find myself toning it down a bit and being a little more chill too. It’s not that I’m not being true to myself…I look at it as being able to “read the room”. If you are working with a really high energy and exuberant client but you are a super quiet, chill person…when you are both in the room, collaborating on a project, it may not work out so well.

We often times hear that we should just be who we are and we will attract and repel our people. But coming from the world of education, I see it through a different lens. As a kindergarten teacher, I had to connect with all of them and their unique personalities to help them be successful. Some were more quiet and reserved…so I had more quiet conversations with them. Those who were wide open and going 100 miles an hour…I could turn up the energy a little and try to connect when they would pause to catch their breath. hahaha

In the entrepreneurial world, we are often taught these concepts that are egocentric. When you think about it…there are soooo many different types of clients out there for us to serve, if we learn to read their energy and match it a bit…you may be able to meet so many more people that need what you have to offer. Test it out and see what happens when you match the energy level of your clients.

Service:

The third way to stand out in an “oversaturated” market is to deliver an amazing service to your clients. The client experience you create can propel your business or quite frankly, tank it. Just being honest. I often have people inquire and when they say “what’s the turn around on final images…like 8 weeks?” I laugh and say absolutely not! I would never take 8 weeks to return a client’s images. First of all, it’s always best to get them back as soon as possible because they are still excited about their experience with you. Also, even if it took you 4 weeks (I shoot for no more than a week or two)…you’d still be faster than what they were originally thinking.

Evaluate your workflow, your client journey, and see how you can simplify and make it more efficient and provide next level care!! Provide outstanding service and your clients will be singing your praises! Take care of people and they will take care of you!

Consistency:

Consistency. Period. That is all. Consistency in your work. Consistency in showing up online. Consistency in how you care for your clients. Consistency in the way you market. Consistency in how you serve. It sounds simple and everyone says it….but it’s not that easy when you have to wear multiple hats and have lots of projects happening. Over the years, systems have helped me…although my creative brain often rebels against strict systems and workflows…so I’ve learned to keep it simple and streamlined. I’ve also learned to say no to projects that aren’t serving me well and that I know I won’t be able to serve well.

Please don’t let “the people” in your life tell you that you can’t compete in an oversaturated market. The market isn’t oversaturated….because there’s only one of YOU!!!!! Find ways to stand out and serve the heck out of your community and your clients.